Torn Pec how long?

I tore a pec muscle on 02/18/11. I wasn't a full tear or overly serious but it bruise. This week i start try to ease back into my chest workout. I started very light @ 45lbs and did high reps adding more weight each set. I topped out at 105. I did the same for all my chest workout. My question is how long before i try going back to a normal routine. It hasn't been hurt since about 02/26/11 except for a slight pinch when i benched that went away a soon as i stoped.

I had something similar happen to my right pec while benching over the summer. Dont think I tore it, just overly strained. Most of the pain went away after a few weeks I believe. I just avoided flat bench all together. Since Incline didnt seem to bother it I stuck with it for awhile. However I think this really delayed my recovery time as I would still get slight pain if I moved the wrong way even months later. I would just be REALLY careful man. Some complete time off for awhile might be a good idea. Have you gone to the doc? Professional insight could definitely help alot

Thanks this week it has only hurt while benching and when I tried doing dips. I think I'm going to continue with the low weight high reps for a few more weeks bumping up the weight in small amounts. Hope that works with out losing to much progress. Just have to see.

No problem man, I just hope that heals up quick for you. My pain seemed to be isolated in the insertion area right below the medial part of the pec kind of close to the bicep. This made dips and bench even some tricep movements like cable pushdowns a definite no for me. Seems like I would get better and then aggravate it again the next time I thought I was fully recovered and ready for those exercises. It's healed now but I just have to be extra cautious and use really solid form. Maybe you could bring up any lagging body parts in recovery time for that pec. Swift healing to you bro

No problem man, I just hope that heals up quick for you. My pain seemed to be isolated in the insertion area right below the medial part of the pec kind of close to the bicep. This made dips and bench even some tricep movements like cable pushdowns a definite no for me. Seems like I would get better and then aggravate it again the next time I thought I was fully recovered and ready for those exercises. It's healed now but I just have to be extra cautious and use really solid form. Maybe you could bring up any lagging body parts in recovery time for that pec. Swift healing to you bro

Sounds like about the same place as mine dips hurt worse than anything else. Guess better safe then sorry.

Keep working up very slowly each week. I've rehabbed minor pec strains in the past with higher reps (but not close to failure) and adding weight slowly over a period of weeks. Here's a rehab protocol that worked well for me.
1) On your main bench day work up slowly back to normal over a period of at least 8 weeks. This is much better than taking almost a year to get back to normal because you completely tore your pec. Don't go to failure and don't grind out reps as this is typically when you re-injure things.
2) Do isometric push-up holds for 20-30 seconds at various positions in the range of motion. Do these at least 3 times a week.
3) Do very very light flyes for ~20 reps mainly to get a decent stretch in the muscle, but again don't push it so hard you re-injure anything.
4) Stretch daily, but again be gentle enough you don't aggrevate things.
5) Be very very very careful with the dips. In fact I wouldn't do them at all during the rehab process.
6) Go back and re-evaluate what led up to the injury including exercise technique and programming (how many heavy weeks in a row, etc...) and see if there are things that need to be modified to avoid future problems.

Keep working up very slowly each week. I've rehabbed minor pec strains in the past with higher reps (but not close to failure) and adding weight slowly over a period of weeks. Here's a rehab protocol that worked well for me.
1) On your main bench day work up slowly back to normal over a period of at least 8 weeks. This is much better than taking almost a year to get back to normal because you completely tore your pec. Don't go to failure and don't grind out reps as this is typically when you re-injure things.2) Do isometric push-up holds for 20-30 seconds at various positions in the range of motion. Do these at least 3 times a week.3) Do very very light flyes for ~20 reps mainly to get a decent stretch in the muscle, but again don't push it so hard you re-injure anything.
4) Stretch daily, but again be gentle enough you don't aggrevate things.
5) Be very very very careful with the dips. In fact I wouldn't do them at all during the rehab process.
6) Go back and re-evaluate what led up to the injury including exercise technique and programming (how many heavy weeks in a row, etc...) and see if there are things that need to be modified to avoid future problems.

Thanks sound like what i've been doing but i didn't think of the isometric push-up holds. I agree i think its going to be weeks before i can do Dips. They seem worse than anything right now.

take this injury seriously! I tweaked my pec and did not take is seriously and hoped it would just get better! Well that was one year ago and it is still not near 100 percent! It was not even the tendon I just tore the actual muscle very bad! I never had any bruising or pain when I did it! Just the day after. Still never got any bruising.